Local Hoops Poll Week 15: The Committee Weighs In

Enough with RPI, AP rankings, coaches' blatherings, and "Also Receiving Votes" for MEAC track teams. It's tourney week. Now we get to see what the committee thinks about our Local Poll, or at least, about the seven teams that matter. As mentioned yesterday, MD/VA/DC produced a staggering seven tourney teams, more than nine percent of the field. As mentioned yesterday, that was as many teams as our Locale produced in the past three years combined. As not mentioned yesterday, I hereby pledge to pick all seven Local teams to win first-round games, setting up Maryland-ODU in the second round. And, naturally, I'll pick a GW-Georgetown Sweet Sixteen matchup.

It's worth noting that I'm blogging from the set of Washington Post Live at Comcast SportsyNet's Bethesda's studios. And that I can see my career disintegrating before my eyes. At least they've given me a wireless keyboard.

Anyhow, the results are in, and we mostly agree with the committee, and the committee with us. The Local voters still have Virginia Tech ahead of Virginia; the committee does not. And other than that, well, it's all pretty much as you'd expect. VCU holds a slight lead over GW; both are 11 seeds. Our lowest rated tourney team is 12 seed Old Dominion, which has the worst seed of any Local. And Georgetown, which is such a trendy Final Four pick that I will likely have to find someone else, is unanimous on top. For those keeping track, that's six straight weeks on top of the Area for Georgetown. Bet Belmont can't say that.

We had 73 voters. The average time spent on the page was 22 minutes. As Intern Boris points out, that was likely about 10 percent of the time our voters spent on college basketball endeavors today. What a great week.

1. Georgetown (26-6) 730
--Thursday vs. Belmont in Winston-Salem.
--Beer pong war preparation escalates as possible Sweet 16 matchup with GW looms. (Ajay Vellore)2. Maryland (1) (24-8) 586
--Thursday vs. Davidson in Buffalo.
--Note to Gary Williams: It's okay. Don't freak out. It's Miami of OHIO in the Midwest Regional with you guys. (Glenn Arnold)3. Virginia Tech (21-11) 540
--Friday vs. Illinois in Columbus.
--Could not stop N.C. State's determined march to the NIT. (Bill Fitzgerald)4. Virginia (20-10) 509
--Friday vs. Albany in Columbus.
--I called it!! 'Cavs clinch ACC tourney bye, which will shortly be followed by a second bye, as in bye-bye, when they exit said tourney in the second round.' (Michael Palan. And he did call it.)5. Virginia Commonwealth (27-6) 468
--Thursday vs. Duke in Buffalo.
--On his way back home after last week's CAA Championship, Eric Maynor saved a baby from a burning building, pulled an old woman out of the way of oncoming traffic and talked a suicidal man down off a ledge. (Jamie Paquette)6. George Washington (23-8) 422
--Thursday vs. Vanderbilt in Sacramento.
--The hottest thing in AC last weekend that didn't have a Russian accent and only knew "You want lap dance?" in English. (Markus Videnieks)7. Old Dominion (24-8) 320
--Thursday vs. Butler in Buffalo.
--The word "Cinderella" will be used one thousand times in the next three days in reference to this squad. (Joshua Meredith)8. George Mason (18-15) 206
--Season over.
--Officially out of the running to be this year's George Mason. (Eric Swensen)9. American (16-14) 61
--Season over.
--They come into your town, they're gonna party down, they're an American University. (Bill Fitzgerald)
--10. Loyola (18-13) 60
--Season over.
--Their quest to become the best basketball-playing Loyola in the United States has yet again sadly come up short. (Gavin Weiss)11. VMI (14-19) 33
--Season over.
--NCAA gives no reward to VMI for reaching its tourney final, but The Local Top 11 poll does! A vote for you, Keydets! You're welcome. (Ted Gotsch)Also receiving votes: Towson 29, William & Mary 11, Richmond 5, Navy 4, Greg Gumbel's man perm 3, James Madison 3, Mount St. Mary's 2, GW women 2, UMBC women 2, James Madison women 1, Liberty 1, Morgan State 1, UMBC men 1.